The wreckage of my presence Essays

Actor (SNL, Happy Endings) and podcaster (Bitch Sesh) Wilson's first memoir is, at first blush, as big and kooky as one of the characters she has crafted or portrayed. In chapters ranging in topic from her love of lounging in bed and the Real Housewives franchise to spiritual explorations and family vacations, she is way out front, seemingly willing to bare her soul on the page. Rather than set up situations to showcase the glamour and glitz of her life as an actor, Wilson turns the trappings of fame into rich fodder for highlighting the absurdities of her Hollywood life. Her humorous writing flows in a rapid-fire, conversational tone, but underneath the laughs, the constant, human, and very relatable undercurrent becomes more apparent: this is also a woman seeking her footing through the grief of losing her mother and finding her place in the world. These personal (and yes, big and kooky) essays will appeal to fans of other funny female essayists like Chelsea Handler and Mindy Kaling, whether or not they are already devotees of Wilson's work.

Famous for breaking the Watergate story with Bob Woodward, Bernstein backtracks to his early-1960s experiences as a teenage reporter at the Washington Star in Chasing History.